Plastic and metal cable and hose carriers for supporting cables, hoses and other flexible conduits extending from one location to another and movable in a relatively straight line are well known. Commonly, cable and hose carriers are constructed of a pair of parallel chains of links interconnected end-to-end which permit pivoting of the links in only one direction from a straight or slightly cambered extended position. The links may be designed to have limiting members of differing size and configurations to create carriers with a variety of pivot radii. A set of crossbars laterally unite the chain pair to define a cargo space in which the cables, hoses and other flexible conduits are carried.
Each link is typically formed with an arcuate or peanut-shaped slot on one end and a stop post on an opposed end. Adjacent links are pivotally connected together such that the stop post on one link will travel back and forth relative to the ends on the arcuate slot in another link. This occurs during relative pivotal movement of the adjacent links as the carrier moves through an arcuate bend between a lower run connected to a fixed point and an upper run joined to a movable member, such as a machine tool or crane. The arrangement of the arcuate slots and the stop posts is such that the links can only pivot in one direction from a straight line. As a result, when the links reach the horizontal position in the upper run, they support themselves in a straight line because they cannot pivot in the other direction.
A problem occurs in heavily weighted plastic and metal carriers moving at higher speeds during which the stop posts on the links tend to hammer or impact against the ends of the arcuate slots formed in the links. Since the link sections are straight segments that rotate through an arc, a cogging effect occurs as the carrier travels through its intended motion. As the load mass is transferred from one link to another at the transition point from the arcuate bend to the straight upper run, the impact of the stop posts on the ends of the arcuate slots in the links leads to vibration and accelerated wear and deformation of the links. Prolonged wear and deformation of the links can lead to carrier sag that negatively affects carrier performance and ultimately failure of the system. The problem is intensified when the carrier is fully extended. In this position, one half of the load is borne at the distal end of the upper run attached to the movable machine tool, crane or the like. The remaining half of the load is directed downwardly at the proximal end of the upper run leading into the arcuate bend. Because the load is unsupported as the carrier moves through the bend, the cogging effect is exaggerated where increased and severe wear of the links is incurred.
The prior art includes rolling carriage support systems used in high speed, extended carrier travel. Such systems require various support beams or channels, and a cable arrangement attached between movable and fixed ends of the carrier. These prior art carriage systems however, are primarily concerned with preserving high speed, long distance travel of the carrier.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a support system for reducing vibration and preventing impacting of the stop posts with the ends of the arcuate slots in the pivotally interconnected links of a cable and hose carrier so as to allow use of the carrier in faster or more sensitive applications where steel cable carrier typically would be limited.